REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES - BOARD MEMBERS ANNOUNCED

Deputy prime minister John Prescott has announced the board members for England's new regional development agencies...

Deputy prime minister John Prescott has announced the board members for England's new regional development agencies. Together with their chairmen they will drive forward a new co-ordinated regional approach to economic renewal.

Board members have a wide range of expertise including business, local government, rural affairs, education, trade unions and the voluntary sectors.

In answer to a parliamentary question yesterday, Mr Prescott said:

'The board members of the eight regional development agencies outside London will be as follows:

EASTERN REGION RDA

Vincent Watts - (Chairman)

Sal Brinton

Alan Cherry

Peter Dawe

Greg Grant

Ken Lewis

Peter Martin

Chris Mole

Richard Powell

Neville Reyner

Jacqueline Russell

Marie Skinner

Stelio Stefanou

EAST MIDLANDS RDA

Derek Mapp

Jane Bradford

Ted Cassidy

Graham Chapman

Martin Doughty

Peter Gadsby

Gillian Gardiner

Len Jackson

Bob Middleton

Peter Moore

Pat Morgan-Webb

Christine Wood

NORTH EAST RDA

John Bridge

Alistair Arkley

Kevin Curran

Barbara Dennis

Derek Fraser

Phillip Hughes

Richard Maudslay

John McCormack

Hugh Morgan-Williams

Miles Middleton

Rita Stringfellow

Sue Wilson

John Williams

NORTH WEST RDA

Terry Thomas of Macclesfield - (Chairman).

Maggie Chadwick

Mike Doyle

John Dunning

Felicity Goodey

Clive Jeanes

Richard Leese

Alan Manning

Dennis Mendoros

Kath Reade

Fred Ridley

Judy Robinson

James Ross

SOUTH EAST RDA

Allan Willet - (Chairman)

Jim Baker

Ken Bodfish

Professor Clive Booth

Barry Camfield

Bryan Davies

Janis Kong

Russ Nathan

Winifred Oliver

David Rogers

Sarah Ward

Caroline Williams

Kevin Wilson

SOUTH WEST RDA

Sir Michael Lickiss - (Chairman)

Doris Ansari

Cairns Boston

Ewen Cameron

Peter Chalke

Nigel Costley

Tudor Evans

Helen Holland

Michael Leece

Alfred Morris

Timothy Parker

Stella Pirie

Jeremy Pope

WEST MIDLANDS RDA

Alex Stephenson - (Chairman)

Richard Barnes

Professor Kumar Bhattacharyya

Mike Bird

Albert Bore

Sue Davis

Anthony Harris

Jim Hunt

Christine King

David Sparks

Sukvinder Stubbs

David Thompson

Brian Woods-Scawen

YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER RDA

Graham Hall - (Chairman)

Muriel Barker

Julian Cummins

Brian Greenwood

Richard Gregory

Lord Haskins

Stephen Houghton

Paul Jagger

Michael Johnston

Adeeba Malik

Sir Gareth Roberts

Paul Shepherd

Pamela Warhurst

'These boards fulfil the commitment we gave in our White Paper 'Building Partnerships for Prosperity' to reflect an appropriate balance of regional interests. We have already announced that the boards will be led by chairmen with solid business backgrounds.

'As regards the main regional stakeholders, within each board business experience dominates; four members are drawn from local government reflecting a balance between type and size of authority, geographical spread and party balance; and at least one member on each board can offer a strong rural perspective together with others who have relevant rural experience.

'Each board also offers expertise from the field of education and the trades union movement and, acrossthe country as a whole, the boards offer significant experience of the voluntary sector. The White Paper had envisaged boards of twelve but, while it has proved possible to constrain the potential size of the board by choosing members who can offer a range of expertise, we have decided that the full range of expertise necessary can only be achieved, at this stage, with boards of thirteen.

'All boards will have at least three women - women represent about a quarter of the membership overall. This compares well with other business focused NDPBs. Ethnic minorities make up about 5% of the board membership.

'I have today published a Departmental press release which gives biographical details of the board members. Copies ha ve been placed in the Library.'

Formal appointments to the boards of RDAs can now be made and the chairmen designate, identified in July, are now appointed formally

together with their Boards.

Welcoming the announcement of the RDA board members, Peter Mandelson, secretary of state for trade and industry, said:

'Today we have announced the appointment of talented board members who will provide strong and dynamic leadership in each region. The board members - and their chairmen - will drive forward a new co-ordinated regional approach to economic renewal.

'My forthcoming White Paper on Competitiveness, to be published later this week, draws upon discussions I have already had with the RDA chairmen. I now look forward to working closely with all the board members in putting the White Paper into action: encouraging enterprise, innovation, business collaboration and exploitation of knowledge in the regions.'

Secretary of state for education and employment David Blunkett said:

'My department welcomes the appointment of RDA board members. We look forward to working with the RDA boards in tackling the major

educational and employment challenges facing the country.'

NOTES

1. The board members were chosen from a high calibre of candidates in all regions. Candidates were sought from a wide range of sources, including a public advertisement, nominations from regional and national stakeholders, and from people who had previously expressed an interest in public service. Independent assessors participated in the short listing process and in the interviews. All appointments have been made on merit, and in accordance with guidance issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

2. Board members and chairmen are appointed for a three year term. Board members will be paid£7,000 pa. for two days a month and chairmen will be paid£44,000 pa. for two days a week.

3. Regional development agencies will be new business-led bodies in each of the regions of England. The intention to es tablish RDAs was announced in the government's White Paper 'Building Partnerships For Prosperity' on 3 December 1997. They will be the lead bodies at regional level for co-ordinating inward investment, raising people's skills, improving the competitiveness of business, and social and physical regeneration. They will develop and promote a regional economic strategy for their region and they will also have an important role in advising government. The Regional Development Agencies Bill received Royal Assent on 19 November 1998.

3. The creation of the London Development Agency will take account of the new arrangements for the government of London, including the way that appointments are made.

4. The chief executives of the RDAs are:

Eastern RDA Bill Samuel

East Midlands RDA Martin Briggs

North East RDA Michael Collier

North West RDA Mike Shields

South East RDA Anthony Dunnett

South West RDA Jill Barrow

West Midlands RDA Anthony Cassidy

Yorkshire and Humber RDA Martin Havenhand

5. Biographical details of the RDA board members and chairmen follow.

Eastern Region

Chairman - Vincent Watts

Vincent Watts, 57, has been the Vice-Chancellor of the University of

East Anglia since 1997. Previously a partner at Andersen Consulting

(1976-1997), he has also had secondments to the Department of Health,

the Treasury and Cabinet Office. No political activities nor other

Ministerial appointments exist.

Board Members

Sal Brinton

Sal Brinton, 43, is a Liberal Democrat County Councillor, Group

Leader and education spokeswoman. She has helped to develop new

County Council initiatives on anti-bullying, drugs education, health,

and equal opportunities policies for schools. She is currently

employed as Bursar at Selwyn College, Cambridge and was the 1997

winner of East Anglian Entrepreneurial Businesswoman of the Year. No

other Ministerial appointments exist.

Alan Cherry

Alan Cherry, 65, is the Chairman of Countryside Properties Plc. He

was a founder partner and Managing Director of the estate agency firm

of Bairstow Eves and is a member of the Board of the Teesside

Development Corporation, Chairman of the CBI Eastern Regional

Council, a member of the Bank Of England Property Forum, Chairman of

the Housing Policy Committee of The House Builders' Federation, and

Chairman of Anglia Polytechnic University Higher Education

Corporation. He supports and is a member of a number of charitable

and community organisations in the region. He was awarded an MBE in

the 1984 New Year's Honours List, and in 1991 was elected an Honorary

Member of The Royal Town Planning Institute. No political activities

nor other Ministerial appointments exist.

Peter Dawe

Peter Dawe, 43, is an entrepreneurial East of England businessman

with a diverse range of commercial enterprises in the region,

including media, telecommunications, a small manufacturing interest

and a 1500 acre arable farm. He founded Unipalm and is a sponsor of

'Cambridge Futures'. He is also an adviser to, and supporter of a

number of charities including Wintercomfort, Princes Trust, Rowan

Foundation, Cambridge Drug Action trust, and Emmaus. No political

activities nor other Ministerial appointments exist.

Greg Grant

Greg Grant, 47, is the Regional Secretary for UNISON. He has been a

full-time union official since 1980 and has extensive experience of

advising, representing and negotiating. He is a Labour Party member.

No other Ministerial appointments exist.

Ken Lewis

Ken Lewis, 60, is the founder and Managing Director of an established

engineering company. He has been the Chairman of Business Link Beds

since 1995 and Bedfordshire TEC since 1997. He was awarded the OBE in

1998 for services to business in East Anglia and was the recent

winner of DTI's Wedgwood award fo r business excellence and DTI's best

SME (Small and Medium Sized Enterprises). He is also a Commissioner

for St. John Ambulance Brigade. No political activities nor other

Ministerial appointments exist.

Peter Martin

Peter Martin, 54, has been an Essex County Councillor (Conservative)

since 1989, was Group Leader 1990-1993, and has been Chairman of

Eastern Area Conservative Association for last 2 years. He has

considerable experience as a managing director and chairman of

several privately owned companies. A former Managing Director of

Martin The Newsagent, he has been the Chairman of the Institute of

Directors Essex Branch since 1993. No other Ministerial appointments

exist.

Chris Mole

Chris Mole, 40, is the Labour Group Leader of Suffolk County Council.

He is a member of the Local Government Association participating on

the Europe and International Affairs Committee. He is a member of the

University of Suffolk Task Group who work in partnership with local

government and the TEC. He is also involved in developing the

council's Lowestoft Partnership aimed at promoting social and

economic regeneration. No other Ministerial appointments exist.

Richard Powell

Richard Powell, 39, is the Regional Manager of the RSPB. He has

experience of sustainable development, conservation, land management,

and business and rural affairs and tourism. He is also a member of

the Broads Authority. No political activities nor other Ministerial

appointments exist.

Neville Reyner

Neville Reyner, 53, is the Chairman of TEC since 1997 and of Business

Link Herts. Board Director of East of England Investment Agency since

1997. He has worked for Mitsubishi since 1983, was appointed

Executive Vice President of Mitsubishi Electric in Jan 1996 and is

taking up an advisory role starting in 1999. No political activities

nor other Ministerial appointments exist.

Jacqueline Russell

Jacqueline Russell, 56, is the Labour Leader of Welwyn and Hatfield

District Council. She works as a freelance staff consultant after a

career in Social Services and has carried out extensive voluntary and

counselling work in the community - in particular working with victim

support, women's refuge, and for people with mental health problems.

She established one of the first probity committees on 'Nolan' lines

in the UK and is the Chair of the council's businessforum which has

close links with the TEC, University of Hertfordshire, and Business

Links. No other Ministerial appointments exist.

Marie Skinner

Marie Skinner, 46, is a Norfolk farmer and freelance journalist,

columnist and feature writer. She was appointed by MAFF as Director

of Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA)*, and since 1997 has been a

member of National Audit Office (NAO) advisory panel. From 1992 '1997

she was the HQ Council Delegate for the NFU and has in recent years

provided training for East Anglian businesses. No political

activities exist.

[* paid at£3,671 per annum]

Stelio Stefanou

Stelio Stefanou, 46, is the Chairman and Group Chief Executive of

John Doyle PLC and its subsidiary companies. He is a Non-Executive

Director of East of England Investment Agency and has been a

Non-Executive Director of Business Link Hertfordshire since 1995. A

member of the CBI National Council since 1994 he was also the Chair

of the CBI Eastern Region 1995-1997. He was at the forefront of the

establishment of the East of England Investment Agency in 1997. No

political activities nor other Ministerial appointments exist.

East Midlands

Chairman - Derek Mapp

Up until May this year Derek Mapp, 48, was the Chairman of Tom

Cobleigh Plc. He is currently a part-time Executive Chairman of

Leapfrog Day Nurseries and owns a small hotel in Padstow and a farm

in Chesterfield. He is a non-executive director of Taylor and Francis

Plc and also a non- executive director of Churchill China plc. He is a

Local government will take a leading role in proposals set out in the government’s prevention green paper but there must be further investment in public health budgets to tackle the “crisis” of health inequalities, Public Health England’s chief executive has said.

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